FINALLY watching *RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK* | Film Grad's First Time Watching Indiana Jones

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00:00 - Intro
02:53 - Reaction
38:19- Final Thoughts
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*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. All rights belong to their respective owners.
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First Time Watching
Indiana Jones
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Harrison Ford
Stephen Spielberg
George Lucas
Dial of Destiny
Ke Huy Quan
John Rhys-Davies
Alfred Molina

[@barkingmonkee]

Honestly, my favorite gag in the film is the buildup & payoff with the coat hanger. The dude pulled that scene off like a master.

[@LordVolkov]

His scenes are great, and he has one of the best face-melts. He elevates a mid-level hench to iconic status.

[@patryklewandowski6071]

...and somehow people hated when a similar thing happened in The Last Jedi. This just proves people were hating this movie for sport.

[@Greenwood4727]

that guy has been in a LOT and i mean a LOT of tv series, films, his scream is epic

[@brandonhill2183]

@@patryklewandowski6071 The Last Jedi is trash regardless of a borrowed gag

[@Artman1991]

That’s a gag that got cut out of Spielberg’s previous film, 1941, in which it was performed by Christopher Lee. Though it was deleted from the final film, Spielberg swore he would put it in every subsequent movie he made until it got a laugh. Fortunately, his next movie was RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

[@Matuse]

Fun fact: In the "final boss" fight, Harrison Ford had severe dysentery at the time, so the long and involved fight sequence with the swordsman they had planned got changed to one of the most iconic scenes in cinema.

[@movienightwithjacqui]

Gotta love when "accidents" become iconic 😄 What an incredible moment!

[@melanieparker]

Actually, he had diarehha, it I spelled it right.

[@Normadeus]

Diarrhea.

[@Hiraghm]

it's probably the most American scene in any movie.

[@weepingscorpion8739]

@@melanieparker Diarrhea. Or diarrhoea if you write British English, or even diarrhœa if you prefer archaic British English spelling. :)

[@Artman1991]

Alfred Molina tells a funny story about how the spider scene was shot. He’s having spiders put on him by a spider wrangler. After he finished, Steven Spielberg came over and asked the wrangler, “Why aren’t they moving?” The wrangler explained that all the spiders were male and would need a female with them to compete over. Spielberg said, “Put a female in there,” and the wrangler did so. As Molina put it later, “All hell broke loose!” Spielberg turned to the cameraman and shouted, “Shoot! Shoot!” He told Molina, “Alfred, look scared!” To which Molina responded, “I’m scared! I’m scared!”

[@bkjeong4302]

The spiders were also Brachypelma hamorii-from the dry forests of Mexico, and very out of place in a Sourh American jungle. (If they wanted to be accurate they should have used Goliath birdeaters, which are actually from South American jungles and are also the largest spiders in the world).

[@keithmays8076]

​@@bkjeong4302My Dad told me once when he was stationed in Brazil back in the 60s, he was on training maneuvers and had to sleep in a hammock....20-30 feet off the ground so critters wouldn't come out for a snack. He has this fly net over him and in the middle of the night, he wakes up feeling something over his head trying to get through the net. He opens his eyes and sees THE BIGGEST SPIDER he's ever seen with quarter inch fangs! He reacted in the normal fashion: he pulled his gun and fired three rounds as he rolled out of his bed.... forgetting he's over 20ft in the air, and lands on his back knocking the wind out of. The rest of his team woke up to investigate and their guide, a local Indios, is laughing as he's holding up the bird catcher. It's body was as big around as a steering wheel. And since then Dad hated spiders with a passion.

[@colinluckens9591]

Man, that is a F******** BADASS STORY!!!😂😂😂😂😂

[@colinluckens9591]

​@@bkjeong4302 Oh dear, really???!!!😔😔😔😔.....ohhh I'll have to try and forget that whenever I watch that scene - DON'T like inauthenticity 😠😠😠

[@riphopfer5816]

Great story! Thanks for sharing! They used this species because their stripedy legs show up very well on film and contrast with the colours they are wearing. Goliath Bird-Eaters are not nearly so colourful, and wouldn’t ‘pop’ onscreen.

[@Crazyivan777]

Hitting Harrison Ford in his wound in the 1930's is definitely a dick move. Doing it to him in a future cyberpunk setting is a Philip K. Dick move.

[@TrashPandaActual]

That is a fact.

[@songwright]

I see what you did there.

[@Mrster]

Less problematic than the original joke, kudos

[@nflr92]

Well played

[@0okamino]

Now _that_ is an appropriate dick joke.

[@Soleya9]

The exposition scene at the college with the army intelligence, is still one of the best examples of exposition in a movie. No wasted words, everything you need to know is explained, not to mention the awesome music/theme that plays that sets the tone. So well done.

[@movienightwithjacqui]

Agreed!

[@kylereese4822]

@@movienightwithjacqui Poltergeist 1 - 3 are a must watch too...

[@daddynitro199]

Indy is ably assisted through the scene by Agent Jek Porkins!

[@Hiraghm]

@@daddynitro199 Also known as Munsen, Dr Zarkhov's assistant in "Flash Gordon" :)

[@baeleth]

The one half they had was from the guy's hand. Only one side was burned in, so that's how they got it and why they didn't have the second. Without Indy, everything kind of happens as it did here except, probably, for the ark ending up in a US warehouse. As for the new movie, I really enjoyed it. I love all 5 movies, but if I'm gonna give my personal order of best to least best, it's: Last Crusade Raiders Dial of Destiny Crystal Skull Temple of Doom I hope to see you react to all of them! I'd even be interested in a rewatch of Last Crusade after you've seen the first 2. (Also, Temple of Doom actually takes place a few years before the first movie. Not strictly needed to know but I think it's good to know.)

[@axr7149]

John Williams is still active scoring at age 91. He even scored the recently released INDIANA JONES 5 (DIAL OF DESTINY). In fact, he made Oscars history earlier this year by being both the oldest ever Oscar nominee (he was nominated for Steven Spielberg's THE FABELMANS (2022) just shy of his 91st birthday) and the only person ever to be nominated in 7 different decades (he has been nominated every decade from the 1960s to the 2020s inclusive).

[@movienightwithjacqui]

I didn't know that! 😮 I feel like they should just rename "Best Original Score" to the "John Williams Award," because while there are some absolutely incredible composers, he's the GOAT!

[@Deepthoughtsabound]

I feel like he and Horner will have some type of lifetime achievement award for the new people who do scores.

[@movienightwithjacqui]

@@Deepthoughtsabound Yes! I'd definitely include Hans Zimmer in the pantheon, as well. The trifecta of iconic film composers!

[@axr7149]

@@movienightwithjacqui actually despite an incredible nomination tally, John Williams only won 5 Oscars (out of 53 nominations).

[@MrTech226]

I heard that John Williams is retiring from scoring after he completed the score for Harrison's last act as Indiana Jones.

[@hgman3920]

The Nazi submarine featured in Raiders was borrowed from Das Boot, which was being filmed at the same time. If you've never seen it, Das Boot is absolutely one of the best war films ever made - a must watch

[@mrshogun1689]

Das Boot is an epic fim/series. It should get much more appreciation and recognition.

[@GuineaPigEveryday]

god that film is brilliant, the ending absolutely tore me to bits. Highly recommend Stalingrad 1993, its in the same vein, again brilliant German war movie. I do have to ask, ive only seen the cut on Netflix, the movie version, is it a lesser version of the miniseries version? Would u recommend watching again for the miniseries?

[@mrshogun1689]

There is an original film, mini series and director's cut. Mini series adds some character interaction and is nearly 300 minutes in total (I think it was 3 episodes). Director's cut is 219 minutes long. I think it's worth to see the series to fully appreciate this piece of cinematography.

[@neilwilliams2907]

@@mrshogun1689 I've only ever seen the series when it first came out. My whole family were engrossed by it.

[@DV80s]

The original headpiece had all the information to get the correct length of the staff. The bald guy only got half, the front end of the headpiece, burned into the palm of his hand so that's why the Na26is were digging in the wrong place. They didn't have all the information from the headpiece to get the correct height. The guy who could read the writing, where the monkey was poisoned, stopped Indy and Sallah when they were talking about the length of the staff and then turned the headpiece around to read the rest of the writing and there it said to take back one kadam to honor the Hebrew God whose ark this is.

[@brit8851]

Thank you... I was hoping someone said this. I got stressed out every time she thought the Nazis had the full Talisman and Indy only had half. I wasn't sure how to explain what was really going on. So again, thank you! 😀

[@DavidB-2268]

This was Alfred Molina pre pretty much anything. He'd only had a few small roles, and was getting ready to quit acting and go home to England, when he got the call. This was his first credited role.

[@blakewalker84120]

Guy's been up for two days, worked all through the night, fought snakes and Nazis all day, been punched a hundred times, shot, and thrown under a truck. And he got his jaw broken with a mirror. I think we should give him a break for falling asleep this one time. :) Actually, I like the fact that Marion did. All she said was "We can't catch a break."

[@peternolan5501]

The thing with 'Indy doesn't change anything' is that it kind of speaks to one of the main themes of Raiders and the series overall. Because the one thing he does really change is that Marion would have died in Nepal if not for him. And ultimately the core of the film and series is realizing that that quest for knowledge or power isn't worth sacrificing love and friendship for. In Raiders, Indy's tested three times: he fails when he doesn't rescue Marion from the camp because it would mean losing his chance for the Ark, and again when his threat to destroy it to save her is exposed as a bluff, but then he *passes* the final test when he gives up his chance to know what's inside the Ark in order to save Marion's life, literally closing his eyes to knowledge because he realizes she's more important. So the only thing that Indy really changes is, ultimately, the only thing that really matters. And that's the film's central message.

[@RealBLAlley]

It's a myth

[@marinesinspace6253]

It's kind of nonsense though. I the nazis follow him to Marion, they didn't know where she was, and she had the staff piece.

[@billolsen4360]

A bluff made standing on a bluff 😁

[@reedcockrell8126]

It seems to me that the Nazis only found Marian in Nepal because they were following Indy. So, if Indy never went on his quest, Marian would have never been in danger... of course, she would have still been stuck in Nepal.

[@kenle2]

@@reedcockrell8126 Wrong. Army intelligence had intercepted the message directing Toht (they didn't know exactly who it was) to "acquire headpiece, Staff of Rha". So they knew who had it - Abner Ravenwood, Marion's father and they knew what they were looking for. The idea that the Gestapo couldn't have tracked Marion down in Nepal from that is very unlikely. They were coming, they just used Indy to speed up the process.

[@songwright]

Tom Selleck was supposed to play Indy, but he couldn't get out of his commitment to Magnum P.I. He later made a movie called High Road to China which Roger Ebert called a "pale echo of Raiders."

[@movienightwithjacqui]

No kidding! I think I remember seeing somewhere that Chip and Dale were dressed like Indiana Jones and Magnum P.I., but I never made the connection that it's because Tom Selleck was supposed to play Indy. Thank you for sharing!

[@htim8997]

I liked High Road to China. But then, I'll watch most anything with Bess Armstrong in it.

[@JoeDatorCartoonist]

I think people who say it's a "plot hole" that Indy doesn't affect the plot are missing the point. The movie isn't about the effect Indy has on the Ark, it's about the effect the Ark has on Indy.

[@robertscott1949]

At 28:31 Indy says "I don't know. I'm making this up as I go". I heard that was an ad lib by Harrison Ford because he forgot the line, but they liked it so much they left it in.

[@adaddinsane]

The opening is a perfect good news-bad news action sequence. Thanks for the reaction, Jacqui. Nice Die Hard reference BTW; "monkey in the wrench". Not Area 51, it's Warehouse 13. 😆 If Indy had not been in the story, Marion would probably be dead. That's about it.

[@Fishmorph]

One thing that gives Raiders its unique feel - you can almost seat your watch to it. It is an homage to the old Saturday morning serials (Rocky Jones Space Adventurer, Undersea Kingdom, etc) that Spielberg and Lucas grew up on. Each was a single reel long, shown before a Saturday matinee, and the reel was ten minutes long. If you watch this movie with a stopwatch, there’s a major scene or set piece for each 10-minute section of movie.

[@jamesfischer2427]

The Nazis only had the limited information that they had BECAUSE of the scar on Toad's hand. Indy had BOTH sides of the headpiece. Penny's assertion was that the Nazi's would have eventually found the ark, just by sheer dumb luck, but then everyone on the island with the Ark would have died, and the Ark would be stuck on that island.

[@charlize1253]

Indiana Jones made no difference to the plot because he actually failed: he was sent on a mission to prevent the Nazis from getting the Ark, yet they got it. Indeed, he found it for them. It was God, not Indy, that gave it to the Americans, who buried it deep within their bureaucratic archives, not to be seen again for another thousand years.

[@hawke5311]

Actually, they would have had both sides of the headpiece because Indy wouldn't have been there to keep them from taking it from Marion in the first place.

[@scott2836]

I think that the argument is that they would have eventually have found Marion on their own, killed her, taken the headpiece, and had all of the information needed. It’s possible, but not certain. If Indy had not gone after Marion, would they have found her own as quickly, if at all? Debateable.

[@JedHead77]

*Toht*

[@jamesfischer2427]

@@JedHead77 I had a hunch I was wrong since I was going off what I heard, having never seen it written. Thanks,.

[@spongeaang98]

I've been rewatching them all for The Dial of Destiny and I can tell you that both this film and The Last Crusade are some of my all time favorite films, especially The Last Crusade. You're going to have a lot of fun with these! 🤗

[@erictaylor5462]

I knew a martial arts teacher who had two completely different types of class. He taught people to compete in competitive tournaments, and he also taught self defense classes. In the competition classes he taught you to follow the rules, but in self defense classes he taught you to fight dirty. If you are fighting to defend yourself, you want every advantage. Trying to fight clean will only increase your chances of losing the fight. You fight dirty because you are fighting for your life.

[@reptiliannoizezz.413]

Hmm. Wise

[@bwilliams463]

As you surmised, every kid wanted a whip after 'Raiders' came out, and I was no exception. My sister and I got cheapo toy whips at the local fair, and we even bought the official Indiana Jones fedoras. A big oak tree in our yard had a sturdy dead limb sticking out, so you can guess what I did. That cheapo whip broke halfway through the swing and dropped me hard on my ass. That was one of two times I tried to mimic something I'd seen in a movie. I'll tell you about the other one if and when you do a reaction to 'A Christmas Story.'

[@MatthewStephensAU]

38:45 That's actually true of all the IJ movies. For example: You mentioned watching 'Last Crusade'? If the Nazi's found the Grail, they couldn't have taken it out of the cave anyway. Indy isn't the hero of these movies, he's the protagonist. In a lot of ways, the narrator. It said so point blank at 35:23 Indiana Jones is passing through history. He's fighting the bad guys, and he's saving the damsels, but history takes care of itself.

[@noah_ncl0223]

Indiana Jones is one of my favorite franchise. I am so glad you discover this movie Jacqui and I’m so exited to see your next réactions 🤠

[@Illustrator-dq3nv]

Went to a multiplex theater to see Dragonslayer back in 1981…finished watching that movie and snuck into the adjacent theater to see another which happened to be Raiders of the lost ark. We had no idea what it was about and hadn’t seen any trailers…needless to say…our minds were blown!

[@CousinWhatIsIt]

Yes, I was a kid when it came out and got a leather bullwhip at a giftshop at Six Flags Over Texas. Not only did I get good at hitting things and snapping it, but I could wrap it around a pole, and with a criss-cross motion, get the whip to tie around itself, so it could be swung from. (Granted, I probably weighed 100 pounds, lol.)

[@constantdvdcollector]

Fun Fact: In Lego Indiana Jones: The Videogame, the scene with Belloq and Indy argue over the idol is longer and funnier. Indy attempts to bribe Belloq with a diamond, a rubber ducky, and Threepio's Head, to which Belloq does a pretty fair impression of ol' Goldenrod.

[@markfury69]

I have watched many reaction videos for this movie and you are the first person to understand it. "Not for the eyes of mortals" Smart woman!! Way to go!

[@MasterBiffpudwell]

I enjoyed the entire franchise. The Last Crusade is my favorite with Raiders the second. There is something about Harrison Ford and Sean Connery costarring together that is a work of art. They meld well together in the story and the acting is wonderful.

[@erictaylor5462]

The scene where they Indy encounters the guy with the sword was suppose to be an elaborate sword v whip fight, but it was a really hot day, they had already done several takes and everyone was tired. So i=Indy pulls his gun and shoots. Everyone played along. The sword guy fell down, and even the extras cheered. It worked so much better they kept it.

[@arraymac227]

Coat-hanger guy, laughing at the sand in the Ark: whose side is he on?

[@jbigger59]

I've always interpretated that last shot as an homage to the last shot of the movie "Citizen Kane", where they are cataloguing the accumulated possessions of Charles Foster Kane after his death.

[@TheValoriusValcorin]

The Wilhelm Scream is used in every Indiana Jones movie and Star Wars movie.

[@jamesdee759]

Watching Marian participate in that drinking contest at the beginning had me laughing a bit. If I remember right, there was a similar drinking contest between Gimli and Lagolas in the Lord of the Rings movies that I don't remember being in the books. lol

[@jthompson7175]

I'm old enough that I was in college when Snakes on a Plane came out and one of the YTMND memes was the scene with Indiana Jones in the plane with a snake. It said "The original Snake on a Plane." :D

[@DanknDerpyGamer]

9:51 - 9:52 I love Indy looking at Sallah with that "what are you, fuckin' kidding me?" look after he tells Indy to go first. 😂😂

[@songwright]

I like the references to Casablanca in this movie.

[@glennallen239]

I watched this Movie when it first came out in the Movie Theatre. it was amazing seeing Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones after seeing him as Han Solo. It was 2 Iconic roles for him.

[@Limerick98]

I still remember when my archaeology professor explained that the real Ark of the Covenant was melted down for gold when it was brought to Egypt as war booty. The whole class was horrified that one of their favourite movies was being debunked. Some of us - myself included - were of the opinion that "yeah sure, that makes sense - but did you SEE it happen?"

[@robertboyer1086]

Star Wars Easter Egg in the opening: The airplane's identification markings are OB1-CPO

[@rbravender1]

I’ve seen this movie arguably a 100 times, and just now realized that the other guide who was with Alfred Molina from the beginning was also the Nazi spy with the eye patch and monkey.

[@henrytjernlund]

Many stories likely have the same "flaw" of the main character being unnecessary. You could say the same about other characters in movies, such as the villain, or love interest. It is the interaction of those characters which makes the story, and a story worth telling. Thanks for the awesome reaction.

[@movienightwithjacqui]

It doesn't bother me in the least, and I don't think it can be considered a flaw. I totally understand the debate, and I think it's something that can be great if it's all in good fun. This movie is a blast no matter what, and nothing changes that 😄 Thank you for watching, and I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@lordpuller2226]

Well in the case of Raiders Indy wasn't unnecessary. He told the US agents that the Ark's flaw is that it kills the people who use it as a weapon. You have to explain why the US government didn't use the Ark against all of the Nazis in WW2. The answer is that the American general's heads would explode!

[@stevehutnikoff5964]

Much like a lot of the movies being made today are unnecessary in general...haha

[@henrytjernlund]

Thinking about it more, without Indie then Marion might have been tortured for the medallion and then killed.

[@ivaneames4354]

As I understand it, the whole Indy being unnecessary thing is because it was the Ark that killed the Nazi's when they opened it. That would have happened whether Indy was around or not. So they were going to die either way simply because they opened the Ark. The other argument would be that since they were looking in the wrong place, they would never have found the Ark and they only did get in the film because Indy found it and got spotted. Maybe it would never have been found if Indy hadn't been there and maybe the Nazi's would have continued to tear the site apart until they did find it. We'll never know for sure. I wouldn't call it a flaw because at the start of the film no-one knew that the Ark would do that, it's all hindsight.

[@declanArdmore]

The famous scene in which Indy shoots a marauding and flamboyant swordsman was not in the original script. Harrison Ford was supposed to use his whip to get the sword out of his attacker's hands, but the food poisoning he and the rest of the crew had gotten made him too sick to perform the stunt. After several unsuccessful tries, Ford suggested "shooting the sucker." Steven Spielberg immediately took him up on the idea, and the scene was successfully filmed.

[@movienightwithjacqui]

That's fantastic! I love when accidents become iconic 😄

[@VanArchon]

Specifically it was dysentery, and it was also why he was so sweaty, he was spiking a fever at the time.

[@jthomann71]

The scene where Indy shoots the guy with the sword was supposed to be an actual fight. They practiced for a long time on it and when the day came to shoot Ford had been sick for days and came up with the idea to just shoot him himself. The swordsman was reportedly upset over it. The warehouse at the end was the inspiration for the TV show Wraehouse 13.

[@littlebill1138]

So for all the references this movie generated that you call out, it’s kind of worth pointing out that Spielberg references many many cowboy movies he grew up watching, including a famous stagecoach chase where the character needs to slide under the stagecoach and is dragged just like that behind it… much like with Indy and the green truck.

[@goORIOLES236]

The monkey you’re thinking of is named Crystal and her filmography includes George of the Jungle, Night at the Museum, Community, The Big Bang Theory, and more recently, The Fabelmans.

[@62rowley]

Maureen McCormick, from the original Brady Bunch series, was called in to audition for the part of Marion. She was cracked out and blew it.

[@rccraig7580]

If you look closely @15:12 you'll see the metal pole used to overturn the truck on its side. The stunt team used explosives on the pole to launch it toward the ground overturning the truck.

[@thedragonlee76]

Fun facts...Originally,actor Tom Sellect was suppose to play Indiana Jones. He was doing the TV show Magnum PI and the network wouldn't let him film the movie due to his contract.

[@drigerdranzer7514]

Inside the Ark was except for the stone tablets Aarons rod and a jar of manna. The relics did burn on the ship to keep them away.

[@caldwellkelley3084]

My apologies for not catching you doing this 11 months ago. Film student reacts to "Raiders" ... it was too fun!

[@constantdvdcollector]

I'm glad you mention the Big Bang Theory episode about Indy's involvement in the film. Technically, Indy is kind of detrimental to the plot, though he does get the girl at the end. Also, had the Nazis found the Ark without Indy's involvement, it probably would have gone to Berlin and incinerated the actual leaders of the High Command including Adolf himself upon being opened. If anything was left of the Nazis afterwards, though, they would have probably would have realized to shut their eyes when the Ark is opened and wound up using the Ark to decimate the Allies. So, in that way, Indy did contribute to the plot. Plus, he rode off into the sunset with Marion. Win there.

[@NateAZ]

I remember seeing this in the theater when it released. When the monkey died, everyone gasped a little, but one guy in the audience said, "Ha! Dirty little Nazi monkey!" Then almost the whole audience laughed their asses off. It was way too funny! Interesting note: The scene where he drops into the chamber with all the snakes and comes face to face with a cobra, that was a real cobra and there was no CGI in that scene. Ford and the cobra were separated by an extremely clean plate of glass, if you pause and look closely, very faint reflections can be seen on the glass.

[@jonathanwyman9402]

I want to shout out to Marion (and Karen Allen). Hands down the best female character in the whole series. For my money she (both as written and as performed) is one of the best female characters out there. Btw, what were the names on a couple of the buildings at USC SCA? And you hadn't seen Raiders? Tsk Tsk 😂

[@lukasismael995]

I feel that when they made this movie it was like they caught lightning in a bottle and the feel of this movie has never been able to be duplicated in any of the sequels. Everything in this movie was just perfect for an adventure entertainment movie: the use of lighting and shadows (as you have noticed), the pacing, the dialogue, all the iconic elements, the basis for the story etc. There are other movies I feel the same way about that I thought should have been left as a stand-alone in my opinion such as The Matrix and Highlander to name a few.

[@peternolan5501]

One thing you might find cool is Steven Soderbergh's edit of Raiders of the Lost Ark. He desaturates it to black and white, and replaces the soundtrack, including dialogue, with atmosphere synth. It's an exercise in drawing attention to Spielberg's masterful use of blocking and framing in Raiders, and it's really effective in showcasing what a uniquely brilliantly directed film it is.

[@theashrook6129]

38:14 I believe it’s Warehouse 13 😂. Love that show!

[@cyberingcatgirls7069]

The one guy's burnt hand is where they got their copy of the headpiece from and that's the reason theirs only had one side.

[@Pixelologist]

The thing about the Nazi's burned hand is that only one side of the medallion, obviously, was burned into his flesh. Remember the cute little translator dude in Cairo? He translated a part that indicated a height for the staff and then said, "wait"....and turned it over, where was inscribed how much height to take back. That's why their staff was the wrong height.

[@craigm3353]

One of my favorite movies. I got a movie reaction suggestion for you it's another one of my favorite movies, The Final Countdown (1980) The U.S.S. Nimitz goes back to December 6th, 1941. It's filmed on the Nimitz.

[@robertbunting3117]

When Indy and Sallah are first lifting off the cover off the Ark, over Indy's right/screen left shoulder you can see C-3PO and R2D2 carved in with the Hieroglyphics

[@JedHead77]

For film students, this is a perfectly directed, produced, written, cast, shot, edited, scored, and choreographed film!

[@Rikrik1138]

The blocking of scenes in this film is near flawless. Spielberg has a gift for knowing how to set his scenes up.

[@Rikrik1138]

I saw Raiders when I was 10 years old in the theater during its original theatrical run, and it blew my mind right through the back wall of the room! It remains to this day one of the very best theatrical experiences I’ve ever had, and influenced me and my young, impressionable mind to never give up when going for something. I wanted that grit and determination that Indiana Jones had. It also made me do things physically that probably raised my mother’s blood pressure significantly, as I kind of became an adrenaline junkie after that. But seriously. This movie is EVERYTHING, and remains my all time favorite film to this day. The scene blocking is amazing, the way each shot is set up and executed is flawless, the performances are believable, and that score is just the glue that puts it all together! Near perfect film!

[@TheBTG88]

The final warehouse scene is a homage to the final scene from ‘Citizen Kane’.

[@houdin654jeff]

Glad I’m not the only one who saw Last Crusade first. I didn’t see Raiders until middle school, but I’d seen Last Crusade dozens upon dozens of times before that. Still my favorite, though I will grant that Raiders is a better movie. 3:37 Not only was this Alfred Molina’s first movie, the scene with the spiders was his FIRST DAY on set. Welcome to the party, pal. 30:25 Possibly the greatest practical stunt ever performed. Harrison’s stunt double, Vic Armstrong, really was dragged under the truck for this sequence. If you look really closely, you can see they dug a small channel in the road because his chin didn’t quite clear the gearbox under the truck, so they lowered the center of the road by an inch or so. It’s also shot at a slightly lower frame rate so it could be sped up to look more dangerous. 34:40 I can never remember where, but there’s a loudspeaker announcement in the sub pen that says, “Eins, eins, drei, acht,” or 1138 in German. This is a reference of George Lucas’ student film, and first theatrical film, THX-1138.

[@mr.bluebird6544]

It is actually "Area 51" in the ending scene. It's used in the beginning of the 4th installment.

[@karlsmith2570]

2:57 That Transition is a staple in the Indiana Jones Franchise

[@Otokichi786]

"Raiders of the Lost Ark": An homage to cliffhanger movies of the 1930's, it had enough stunts for THREE Action movies of the era, second choice Harrison Ford created another movie icon, "two-fisted Marion Ravenwood" stood tall as Indy's equal, and a generation of college students were persuaded to "dig in the dirt" as now-Cool Archeologists.

[@JonathanReynolds1]

The actor playing the villain Beloc played the priest in the Simon Pegg movie “Hot Fuzz”.

[@vincentsaia6545]

The first one is by far the best. I saw it when it first came out and was overwhelmed

[@Greenwood4727]

just imagine seeing this at age 8 or 9. like i did.. yeah.. and you are an adult.. and if it creeps you out.. yeah.. we kids from the 70's and 80's are a different breed.

[@matthewconner7800]

The prop depiction of the Ark is an excellent interpretation of the very detailed description (actually a set of instructions of what the Israelites were commanded to build) found in Exodus 25:10-22.

[@christopheryochum3602]

I think you were right. You're the first reactor I've seen who commented, "I wonder if he has the right side." Without both sides, the Nazis were digging in the wrong place. The side burned into his hand got them a clue where to dig, but not having the other side was crucial.

[@laurakali6522]

Saw the last one last night. Nice send off to the franchise.

[@jl721ATcairn]

13:17 fun fact, this movie takes place in 1936 and came out in 1981, if "Dial of Destiny" had used the same time difference it would take place in 1978 (the year after Star Wars originally came out)

[@LukeMaynard]

What a delight this reaction was! The "plot hole," people argue, is that the Nazis GOT the length of their Staff of Ra by reading the medallion's inscruption in Toht's burn scars, even though they lost the medallion itself. As we see when he raises his hand, we can clearly see the burn marks with the visible lettering. That tells us how they got the measurements, if our heroes got the medallion-but it also tells us why they only have one half of the measurements, because his palm only captured a good imprint of one side. As a result, as Indy and Sallah note in a FANTASTIC dual line delivery, "they're digging in the wrong place." Indiana, with the medallion in hand, is able to determine the real place to start his dig. (This is back when being a serious, multilingual field archaeologist WAS important to the plot: Indy wasn't just some brave guy who went on adventures, he would've been an expert in leading field excavations, which is what he ultimately does. The argument is that if Indy hadn't found the Ark and dug it up, the Nazis never would have, and everything would've been fine. I'm not sure I believe this. For one, the Nazis were within line-of-sight of the Well of Souls, and the fact that Indy was able to escape the Well by going through a wall into another section of the catacombs, and eventually find his way to a stone wall the Nazis had already uncovered at their base camp, suggests that it would only have been a matter of time before the Nazis, even digging in the wrong place, would have found the connecting passage and found the Well of Souls themselves. The other important point is that Indiana showed up in Nepal in time to save Marion and keep the medallion out of Nazi hands to begin with. If not for him, they would have straightforwardly found the Ark-and even if he helped them reach it in this film, they might have reached it not long after if Belloch, another archaeological expert, had had the time to study the ruins of Tanis and find his way from the wrong site to the right one.

[@charlize1253]

The way I think about the Big Bang Theory plot hole is this: what if Indy never went on the mission and just stayed at the college teaching classes? If you think about it, everything he did helped the Nazis. The Nazis were already digging in Tanis without the headpiece, the Army Intelligence guys said so in the first meeting. After Indy got the headpiece, he flew straight to Cairo to meet with Sallah, and Sallah complained that the Nazis had already hired every digger in Cairo, and that they reached the Map Room "two days ago." So even before Indy got involved, the Nazis had Tanis and the Map Room; all they were missing was the headpiece. The Nazi's didn't know where the headpiece was; they thought Abner Ravenwood was still alive and had it in the US per the intercepted communique. Indy led them to Marion and the headpiece in Nepal (they followed him on the plane). Then, after leading them there, he got into the fight where the German guy had it burned into his had. But that burn wasn't enough; with only one side, their staff was too long. They wouldn't have found the Well of Souls with just the burn. They needed the real thing. Who brought the actual two-sided headpiece to Cairo? Indy did! Indy used it to find the Ark and bring it out of the Well of Souls, where the Nazis took it without even having to dig for it. Everything Indy did actually made the Nazi's job easier than if he had just stayed at home. Maybe they would have found it anyway just by digging everywhere for years, but that's unlikely because right before Indy's dig was spotted, Belloq was just in the process of complaining that the Germans were like a bull in a china shop and they had no idea where the Ark was and "maybe it's still hiding in some antechamber." In other words, they had no idea what to do next. Then they spotted Indy's team craning the Ark out of the ground. In other words, everything Indy did helped the Nazis find the Ark faster. If he had just stayed at home, they might never have found it, and it definitely would have taken much longer. When he did find it, the Nazis took it immediately. They only lost it through the wrath of God, not anything Indy did. That was the point of the Big Bang Theory: if Indy had just stayed at home, the Nazis would never have found the Ark. He didn't prevent them from finding it; he made it easier for them to find it. That's why it's a plot hole: he prevented nothing and actually made things worse than if he just stayed home the whole time.

[@toddlower5546]

"Is this area 51?" Nope, Warehouse 13. Look it up. Great series.

[@JJ_W]

Warehouse 13 had a great cast. I miss Claudia.

[@blakewalker84120]

35:05 "Jones! Your persistence surprises even me!" He also should have said "And your inventiveness! Why, nobody on earth will invent a weapon like that for at least 6 or 7 years!" The U.S. invented the bazooka in 1942 which looked a little like that but loaded from the rear, not the front. The Germans captured some in battles in WWII and created their own Panzerfaust in 1943 which loaded from the front like this one, but looks very different. I don't think that exact weapon actually ever existed at all, but I'm certain they didn't exist (in production) until at least 1942. I'll assume he found some Nazi weapons lab where they were working on a prototype...

[@kenle2]

And that isn't a bazooka, or a Panzerfaust. It's the Soviet-era RPG-7, which wasn't produced till the 1950's. Undoubtedly it was what the prop department had that would fit the script.

[@stevenpaul1476]

If Indy wasn't there they would have got the real medallion from Marion. So yeah, no changes. But that's adventure for you, sometimes you just survive

[@dalee72]

That wasn't a gunshot. That was the sound of the impact of the oval shaped full length mirror that Marion accidentally hit Indie with in the cruise ship.

[@MarkHarvey-uh8oc]

I was14 when Raiders was released. I saw it with my Mum and Gran. We all loved it and I was an instant fan. On leaving the cinema I said 'Mum, can i have a whip for my birthday"? And I did. I now have an Indy costume made by the costumiers for the film in London. A big thrill was meeting the lovely gentleman at Herbert Johnson in London that created his legendary Indy Poet.

[@Greybeardmedic]

Remember Jacqui "Their medallion only has markings on one side...They are digging in the wrong place" This is because they got their copy of the medallion from the Gestapo agents hand, which was good, but not complete.

[@3dbadboy1]

The initial cave scene was a source of amusement for the Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts who were familiar with the game. The mysterious cave and the solitary beam of light were elements that resonated with them, as they resembled something that a Dungeon Master would create. Recognizing it as a trap, they found it reminiscent of the world of Dungeons & Dragons, resulting in laughter and anticipation.

[@JoeCool7835]

Steven Spielberg & George Lucas took a lot of inspiration from b-movies and serials from the 30s and 40s, but another inspiration that isn't mentioned enough is James Bond. That was a big reason why they got Sean Connery to play Indy's dad in Last Crusade. Have you seen any of the Bond movies? Edit: OK, I just saw that you have seen the first 2 Daniel Craig films, but you need to see the classics, particularly the Sean Connery ones.

[@kj6446]

I had the pleasure of meeting John Rhys Davies (Salah) at a fan convention. He was genuinely one of the nicest person I have ever met.

[@karlmortoniv2951]

Random casting note - the guy who played the captain of the freighter went on to play Kingsley Shacklebolt in the Harry Potter films. Damn' fine actor who's been in loads of stuff over the years. 😃 I reckon I'm going to be in the minority, but I enjoyed the hell out of "Dial of Destiny" and don't care what anyone else thinks. There was one chase too many for me - one of them seemed like it was there because someone decided they needed another thing to happen - but that's more of a modern action movie thing than anything egregious that this movie committed. If "Last Crusade" didn't have Sean Connery in it I would put "Dial of Destiny" a notch above it - everyone looks at "Last Crusade" with rose tinted glasses so that they overlook some of the jaw-droppingly slapdash, lazy shit that we see in that movie. No idea what happened - maybe Lucas and Spielberg were tired of Indy by then? "Dial of Destiny" has one of the best conceived villains of the series, second only to Belloq in this but none of the other movies really wrote a good villain, relying on damn' good actors to breathe life into them - Mads Mikkelson is really good without trying to steal the movie. So that's what I think. 🙂

[@thatpatrickguy3446]

Great reaction to a classic! Such a great script, cinematography, and direction, as you pointed out. Especially with the use of light, shadows, and silhouettes. And the amazing Williams score. Toht only has the amulet's one side burned into the palm of his hand. That burn/branding is how they were able to make the headpiece that they used to dig. But with only half the instructions... Marian was an example of the kick butt female lead that was pretty standard in a lot of the post-WWII serials that were the inspiration for Indy. She was smart, capable, and beautiful. Another example of such a character is from the 1946 serial The Crimson Ghost, wherein the female lead can fly a plane, drive a heavy duty truck, fire a gun, she also participates in many of the action scenes and pretty much wears pants throughout the serial. The Crimson Ghost is also known for having the actor who later played the Lone Ranger, Clayton Moore, as a bad guy. 😀 One thing that no one ever seems to get though is that she's NOT faking in the drinking contest with Belloq. He's grown up drinking this stuff from childhood, and it isn't affecting him as badly as she expected. She asks about the stuff they're drinking when she realizes that she's at her edge of functionality and he's still upright. When she learns that he's going to be impossible for her to drink under the table, she goes with the Plan B that she, smart cookie that she is, prepared just in case: the knife. It's an even better scene that way because it shows that she knows she's at the limit of her functionality and instead of pursuing a plan that will likely leave her incapable of aiding in her own escape, she smartly changes tactics and holds the unarmed and inebriated Belloq at bay with her knife. And then Toht walks in. The jerk. He'd sober anyone up. As would all the snakes in the Well of Souls. Strongman/wrestler/actor/and all around nice guy Pat Roach is in this movie twice and dies each time. He dies as the big Sherpa in the gunfight at Marion's bar and as the burly bald boxer who is more focused on Indy than the propeller. 😲 He would go on to appear in, and die in, the second and third Indy films, though his death scene in Last Crusade ended up on the cutting room floor, but he does appear briefly in the movie anyway. Speaking of people who die in movies, this movie also has an appearance of one actor who, this time, did not die. 😀The mustached suit and tie Army Major at the beginning and end of this movie ("Top. Men.") was previously seen in another Lucas/Spielburg film. He played the ill-fated Jek Porkins/Red 6 who did not survive in Star Wars. I am a HUGE practical FX guy. I grew up watching Harryhausen FX in movies and worked on trying to create some of my own primitive FX for theater and the Super 8 films we made as kids. Though horrifying to my 13 year old eyes when I saw this on release back in 1981, the practical FX of the deaths of Toht, Belloq, and the German commander were just so cool to me. 😀 And yes, they had all been judged and their remains were just gone as if they had never existed... 😀 Loved that! The final scene of the many many many ad infinitum crates in the warehouse was said to be the inspiration for SyFy's wonderful show Warehouse 13. I so love that show! The Indiana Jones trilogy is all there is. They waited too long and didn't have as good a script for Crystal Skull, and it only got much much worse for Dial of Destiny from what I've been told.

[@actor451]

Inspiration for the style of the action sequences was taken from the Saturday morning serials. Things like his hat never falls off.

[@TJSINGS63]

Just found your Channel your review first time watch of Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark was delightful you are amazingly Charming

[@quixote6942]

This was Speilberg's homage to the old "Cliff Hanger" Serials they played before the Main Movies.

[@paulschulte8651]

The serials were played before the Westerns on Saturday afternoon. The News of the World was played in the evening with the main movie.

[@TheMajorActual]

Fun fact: Tom Selleck was originally signed to play Indiana Jones...but CBS gave a hard NO, as Sellect was already signed to do _Magnum, P.I._ and they would not suspend the show for Spielberg and Lucas. Left without a lead, they called Ford, who jumped at the role -- which is how he also got both the Han Solo and Deckard (Blade Runner) roles.

[@PreRockDoc]

At 4:07, your use of George Michael's "Careless Whisper" was both hilarious and brilliant!

[@1001Hobbies]

I still have my whip from when this film came out.

[@latinfabian70]

Hi Jacqui, Just want to say, I really enjoyed your video and your genuine reaction(s) to this Spielberg/Lucas Classic I love this movie :) I remember seeing this with my parents, when I was a little boy, and my dear dad laughing at Harrison Ford’s greatest ad-libbed scene.. When he just shoots the s.o.b who’s swinging the sword. What’s even greater is, that after all these years, seeing someone see that scene for the 1st time and still have the same wonderful visceral reaction. I enjoyed watching the joy in your face. Thank you, Fabian

[@scottgodlewski306]

I took a drink every time you said “iconic” and now I’m dead.

[@king26thfc]

one of my Top 5 films of all time and just something you can never get tired of watching. The fight by the plane and then going straight into the truck chase/fight scene has to be one of the best back to back parts of any film. Do you know who was originally cast to play Indy? It wasn't Harrison Ford. Nope, it was Tom Selleck......I know, right!!

[@AndyHoke]

For plot holes, it occurs to me that there was no runway for the German plane to get the ark out of Tanis. It wasn't an Osprey.

[@mem1701movies]

Nobody seems to notice the eyepatch guy and the guy that was whipped in the beginning are the same actor

[@Laochri]

I don't recall whips being a thing as props do today. I do know that decades later David Morgan whips were and are sought after. I would give anything to have a kangaroo David Morgan Bull Whip. The Hero Whip is from the 450 series, No. 455 10 ft Kangaroo Bullwhip. Currently run about $1,300

[@j_m_valentin4743]

One of my fave lil facts for the movie is that the sound of the big Boulder chasing Indiana is the sound of one of the filmmakers lil 80s Toyota driving on gravel that they just stuck a mic next to lol

[@Ladco77]

The Bible has detailed descriptions of how the ark was built. When studying the design, it's a wooden box plated on the inside and outside with gold, essentially becoming a massive capacitor. Carrying it through the desert with it's hot, dry winds would build up an extreme static charge. Anyone touching it would look like they were being struck by lightning from the static discharge. The description was also specific on using wooden poles to carry it - insulating the carriers from the ark.

[@leosarmiento4823]

Glad you finally caught the film that is the gold standard for the genre, and started the iconic franchise. I hope you review all of the other films (including a rewatch for your thoughts on Last Crusade). I was 10 when this film came out. Talk about influential.... :)

[@movienightwithjacqui]

Thank you! I'm so glad I can finally say I've seen it 😄 I had only planned on doing Temple of Doom, since I've seen Last Crusade, but if you guys want a re-watch commentary, I'm always down for some Sean Connery!) And I can well imagine what an effect this movie would have on a 10 year old! 😄